Well over half of UK seafood consumers now recognise the blue Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) ecolabel, continuing the upward trend in awareness of this crucial global sustainability certification.
An impressive 54% of those who have purchased fish or seafood in the past two months say they have seen the blue ecolabel, either often or occasionally. This, up from 51% in 2022 and from 44% when the first of these global research surveys was conducted in 2016. Understanding is also increasing, with 39% of UK consumers associating the ecolabel with sustainability or certification – up from 33% in 2022 and 25% in 2016.
These significant increases in awareness (up 23%) and understanding (up 56%) over the past eight years follow concerted public awareness campaigns from the MSC – including World Ocean Day and Sustainable Seafood September – promoting sustainable fishing and celebrating those fisheries that have achieved the certification.
In the survey of more than 27,000 people across 23 countries – including 1,378 in the UK – a clear picture emerges of consumers looking to respected, independent bodies like the MSC, to ensure the seafood they enjoy today is available for years to come. Given the reassurance of the blue MSC ecolabel on pack, over half (55%) of UK seafood consumers say it would make them more likely to purchase the product. 77% also say supermarkets' and brands' claims about sustainability and environment need to be clearly labelled by an independent organisation.
UK consumers want the MSC to play an active role in protecting the marine environment and promoting sustainable seafood. More than half of those questioned (52%) in the Consumer Insights Survey conducted by GlobeScan chose 'protecting fish populations' as an action they wanted MSC to focus on, with 47% choosing 'protecting ocean wildlife, birds and endangered species'. UK consumers also want the MSC to raise awareness of the environmental impacts of overfishing (45%) and explain to consumers what sustainable seafood is (42%).
Anxiety about the state of the world’s oceans among seafood consumers is on the rise, with 94% of them saying they were worried, up from 91% two years ago. Just over two in five consumers (42%) said they don’t think their favourite seafood will be available in 20 years, a steep rise from a third (33%) in 2022. For those aged 18 to 34, the figure is 52%, showing greater concerns among younger people. Consumers are even more worried than they were in 2022 about overfishing with 51% voicing concerns about this threat, up from 48% in 2022.
George Clark, MSC UK & Ireland Programme Director, said: “It’s clear from our latest survey that while consumers are troubled by the state of the oceans, they absolutely recognise the critical role both sustainable fishing and respected, independent bodies like the MSC can play in safeguarding seafood populations for future generations.
The survey also highlights a genuine consumer willingness to buy and eat more seafood, when given the reassurance that it’s been caught sustainably. Luckily, there are plenty of certified fisheries in both the UK and across the globe, and we want to see more. With increasing recognition of the blue MSC ecolabel the opportunity is there for fishing communities, the supply chain and retailers to meet consumer demand for certified sustainable seafood and encourage wider consumption.”
MSC is preparing to launch its fifth edition of Sustainable Seafood September at the end of the summer. The campaign will focus on health, the environment and variety, encouraging the UK public to increase their consumption of seafood and try a wider array of certified sustainable fish for the good of our diets, and the health of our ocean. Find out more about the 2023 campaign here.
MSC certified fisheries have made more than 400 fishing practice improvements in the last three years, including to better protect endangered marine species and vulnerable habitats. Fisheries certified to MSC’s global, science-based fisheries Standard, are required to manage fish stocks sustainably and minimize impacts on the wider marine environment. The UK & Ireland State of the Water Report, published last September, shows nearly 150 improvements have been made in MSC certified fisheries over the past 20 years.